Family members of the defendant and victims were in court Wednesday for the sentencing of Elizabeth Stakelbeck, who pleaded guilty in March to solicitation to murder and two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance. She offered to pay an undercover FBI agent money, sex and prescription drugs in exchange for the hits.

The plea deal was in exchange for a 15-year sentence, but in court Stakelbeck's attorney asked Judge Mitch Perry to place her on probation rather than send her to prison.

Defense attorney Angela Rea said Stakelbeck had no prior criminal history and she has the support of family and community and she completed a treatment program while in jail.

Rea said Stakelbeck has changed dramatically since her arrest last August during a bitter custody battle.

Stakelbeck's mother and brother spoke on her behalf at sentencing Wednesday.

Her mother said her daughter was easy as a child and she didn't have to coach her on doing the right thing, but after college there was a change. She said being in jail has changed her daughter and helped her.

Stakelbeck's brother said he was happy she was caught and over last several months, she has woken up.

Stakelbeck also addressed the court and began crying as she said she never thought she would be capable of something so horrible.

"I lost all my humanity. I became something I didn't recognize," she said.

She blamed a prescription drug abuse for her actions.

"I was convinced in my mind that my child was in danger and I felt like I had to do what I had to do to protect her," Stakelbeck said.

Rea said Stakelbeck thought her child was being abused and while that doesn't excuse her actions, it was a protective parental urge.

Stakelbeck and ex-husband, Matt Vaughn, have a 7-year-old daughter.

In court, Stakelbeck said promised she is now clean and has changed. She even said she was grateful for the arrest.

On the prosecution side, Vaughn warned the judge not to believe her. He and his wife, Morgan Vaughn, both told the judge they fear her future actions if she's not in prison.

"The problem with these sentiments is I've heard each of them before and on many occasions," Matt Vaughn said.

Morgan Vaughn told Perry she's been a victim of Stakelbeck's attacks for four years. She said she wasn't surprised to hear of the arrest.

"I will never forget seeing the evidence for the first time. My wedding pictures were used to identify us to the hit man. Pictures that I should look at and remember as the happiest day of my life are now marked with her intentions to kill us," Morgan Vaughn said.

Morgan Vaughn said every day when she puts her baby to sleep, she prays she gets to see her again. She said if Stakelbeck had been successful, the baby wouldn't know her or her husband.

She said the only peace her family has known was while Stakelbeck has been incarcerated.

"My family deserves to lives our lives absent of fear and paranoia that's been created because of her actions," Morgan Vaughn said.

Matt Vaughn said Stakelbeck has apologized and claimed she's changed before, but he's been the victim of her attacks for years.

Matt Vaughn said he's become paranoid in his daily life and takes different routes when he drives to work and checks in with his wife constantly. He now carries a gun.

He, too, said the only way their family feels safe is when Stakelbeck is behind bars.

Prosectuor Leland Hulbert told the judge Stakelbeck is a threat to reoffend and that she has a history of escalation -- she went from lies, to threats to hits.

Hulbert said she tried to kill her ex-husband and his wife, but if that wasn't successful, she would kill her daughter and herself.

The prosecutor said if the plot hadn't been uncovered and she was successful, it would have been a capital murder trial, so she should be sent to prison for 15 years.

Perry agreed, telling Stakelbeck what she did was too serious for probation and sentencing her to 15 years in prison.

"I think the judge understood that the victims of this crime are going to deal with it the rest of their lives. They, in some way, have a life sentence," Hulbert said.

Along with the 15-year sentence, Stakelbeck was also fined $1,000. She cannot file for shock probation for 180 days, something the commonwealth said it will fight when she does.

Stakelbeck's family, attorney and the victims had no comment after the sentencing.

AND I'M KAREN ROBY. A LOUISVILLE WOMAN GETS A 15 YEAR SENTENCE FOR TRYING TO HIRE AN UNDERCOVER F-B-I AGENT... TO KILL HER EX- HUSBAND AND HIS NEW WIFE. ELIZABETH STAKELBECK PLEADED GUILTY IN MARCH... BUT THIS MORNING LEARNED HER FATE. WLKY'S MARISSA ALTER WAS THERE FOR THE EMOTIONAL HEARING. SHE JOINS US FROM THE JUDICIAL CENTER WITH MORE, MARISSA. RICK.. STAKELBECK HAD AGREED TO THAT SENTENCE AS PART OF HER PLEA DEAL.. BUT TODAY.. SHE ASKED THE JUDGE TO INSTEAD GIVE HER PROBATION.. MEANWHILE.. HER VICTIMS BEGGED FOR THE OPPOSITE. IT'S A MURDER FOR HIRE PLOT.. MORE REMINISCENT OF A MOVIE.. THAN REALITY. AND IN COURT WEDNESDAY.. THE WOMAN AT THE CENTER OF IT.. EXPLAINED WHY SHE SOUGHT OUT A HIT MAN.. DURING A BITTER CUSTODY BATTLE. I lost all my humanity. I became something I didn't recognize STAKELBECK CRIED AS SHE BLAMED PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE FOR WHAT SHE DID LAST AUGUST: OFFER AN UNDERCOVER FBI AGENT-- POSING AS A KILLER-- MONEY.. PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.. AND SEX.. IF HE TOOK OUT HER EX HUSBAND AND HIS NEW WIFE. THIS WAS VIDEO OF THE EXCHANGE. I was convinced in my mind that my child was in danger and I felt like I had to do what i had to do to protect her STAKELBECK HAS A 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WITH EX MATT VAUGHN. IN COURT.. SHE PROMISED SHE WAS NOW CLEAN.. AND HAD CHANGED.. EVEN SAYING SHE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE ARREST. BUT VAUGHN WARNED THE JUDGE NOT TO BELIEVE HER. the problem with these sentiments is I've heard each of them before and on many occasions HE ALSO SAID STAKELBECK HAD TARGETED HIM EVER SINCE THE TWO SPLIT.. EVEN COACHING THEIR DAUGHTER TO ACCUSE HIM OF ABUSE. WHEN THAT FAILED.. HE SAID SHE UPPED THE ANTE TO MURDER. WIFE MORGAN BROKE DOWN IN COURT RECALLING THE DETAILS. I will never forget seeing the evidence for the first time. My wedding pictures were used to identify us to the hitman pictures that I should look at and remember as the happiest day of my life are now marked with her intentions to kill us THE VAUGHNS SAID THEIR LIVES NOW CONSIST OF ALWAYS LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDERS. HE CARRIES A GUN.. AND ALTERNATES HIS ROUTES TO WORK. THE ONLY PEACE THEY'VE HAD IS KNOWING SHE WAS LOCKED UP. my family deserves to lives our lives absent of fear and paranoia that's been created bec of her actions JUDGE MITCH PERRY AGREED.. TELLING STAKELBECK WHAT SHE'D DONE WAS TOO SERIOUS FOR PROBATION. I think the judge understood that the victims of this crime are going to deal with it the rest of their lives. They..in some way..have a life sentence STAKELBECK DID HAVE SEVERAL SUPPORTERS IN THE COURTROOM TODAY.. INCLUDING HER MOTHER AND BROTHER. THEY TOLD THE COURT SHE'D RECOVERED OVER THE PAST 9 MONTHS IN JAIL AND PLEDGED THEIR SUPPORT IF SHE GOT PROBATION. LIVE OUTSIDE THE JUDICIAL CENTER.. MA.. WLKY NEWS. AS PART OF STAKELBECK'S SENTENCE.. SHE ALSO MUST PAY A 1000 DOLLAR FINE. SHE CAN'T FILE FOR SHOCK PROBATION UNTIL NOVEMBER. THE COMMONWEALTH SAYS IT WILL FIGHT THAT WHEN SHE DOES.

Hillary Clinton did not have a State Department email account while she served as America's top diplomat, a senior state department official said Monday, and instead used a personal email account during her four years on the job.